Eurostar E3000

The Eurostar E3000 is a generic satellite model most commonly used for commercial and military communications satellites manufactured by Astrium. It is a member of Astrium's Eurostar family. It utilises a chemical, bi-propellant propulsion system for orbit raising and on-station manoeuvres with an optional plasma propulsion system (PPS). The PPS harnesses the Newtonian effect as a result of the ionisation of xenon gas employed by the use of Hall effect plasma thrusters. This system is most commonly used for North-South station-keeping. The E3000 was the first commercial satellite family to use lithium-ion batteries rather than the older nickel-based technologies for power supply during eclipses.

The E3000 bus can be modified extensively to meet customer requirements, but most of the E3000 satellites have a launch mass of between 4,500 and 6,000 kilograms (9,900 and 13,200 lb), and solar arrays between 35 and 45 metres (115 and 148 ft) providing between nine and sixteen kilowatts at end of life. They tend to feature between 50 and 90 transponders, most often in the K_u band and C-band.

Satellites built around the E3000 platform include Hispasat's Amazonas 1 and 2, Arabsat 5A, 5B, and 5C, Astra 1M, 1N, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3B and 5B, Eutelsat's W3A and Hot Bird 8-10, Intelsat 10-02, KaSat, Atlantic Bird 7, W5A Telesat's Anik F1R, Anik F3 and Nimiq 4, Skynet 5A-C and the Inmarsat 4 series of satellites; Each of the three Inmarsat 4 in service has a large deployable reflector as the main antenna.

In March 2015 Airbus Defence and Space received a delivery of new 3D printed brackets for mounting Telemetry and Tele-Command antennas, being the first space-qualified 3D printed component of its kind.^[1] Also in March, Airbus signed a contract with Snecma for 5-kilowatt PPS5000 Hall effect thrusters for the E3000 Electric Orbit Raising variant of the satellite bus. New thrusters would allow reducing the weight of satellite up to 40%.^[2]

References

• Astrium's page about the satellite.